Portable display stand

ABSTRACT

A portable display stand is comprised of three interfitting vertically extending folded panels. Each panel is provided with a plurality of alternately directed vertical folds with the folds of the intermediate panel being alternately directed relative to the folds of the top and bottom panels. Suitable interfitting notches are provided in the adjacent edges of the panels for securing the same together in an interfitting manner. Horizontal shelves are mounted on the upper edges of the bottom folded panel.

Unite States Patent my Baker et a1. 1

[ 1 Oct. 23, 1973 PORTABLE DISPLAY STAND [76] Inventors: Lawrence Dee Baker, 13118 Whistler Ave., Granada Hills, Calif.; George E. Bamber, 3836 Altura, La Crescenta, Calif. 91214 [22] Filed: July 27, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 275,673

[52] 11.5. CI ..108/111,108/153, 248/174, 211/135, 211/178 [51] Int. Cl A471) 3/00 [58] Field of Search 108/92, 99, 101, 108/111, 115, 153; 248/174; 211/135, 148, 149, 178 R [56] References Cited UNlTED STATES PATENTS 2,049,231 7/1936 Storch 108/111 3,464,569 9/1969 Downing 248/174 X R 4/1973 Resnicoff 211/178 R X FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,101,695 10/1955 France 248/174 Primary Examiner-James C. Mitchell Att0rneyRichard C. Sughrue et a1.

[57] ABSTRACT A portable display stand is comprised of three interfitting vertically extending folded panels. Each panel is provided with a plurality of alternately directed vertical folds with the folds of the intermediate panel being alternately directed relative to the folds of the top and bottom panels. Suitable interfitting notches are provided in the adjacent edges of the panels for securing the same together in aninterfitting manner. Horizontal shelves are mounted on the upper edges of the bottom folded panel.

3 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures I 1 PORTABLE DISPLAY STAND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention is directed to display stands and more specifically to lightweight portable stands having readily detachable interfitting folding parts.

2. Prior Art At various trade shows it was customary for exhibitors to set up a booth or display stand on their alloted floor space to provide a suitable backdrop or actual means for supporting their products. The cost of such a booth or display stand has traditionally been extremely high due to the cost of materials for constructing the stands and the high cost of. union labor employed in transporting the booth or stand from trade show to trade show, carrying the display stand in and out of the convention hall and. assembling and disassembling the display stand in the hall. Such display stands or exhibit booths are conventionally made of wood framing having a plywood or fiberboard sheath, thusrequiring'the services of'a carpenter not onlyin the initial construction of the parts but in the assembly of the parts at the exhibit site. Such exhibits when disassembled are still very bulky and heavy. Thus, sturdy packing crates are required for shipment and generally such exhibits must be shipped by truck. Thus, standard exhibits of this nature are expensive to build and ship, awkwardto handle and time consuming in assembly and disassembly.

SUMMARY or THE INVENTION The present invention provides a portable display stand which is inexpensive to produce as well as inexpensive to transport, assemble and disassemble. The display stand according to the present invention is extremely lightweight and when disassembled is so compact that asingle person can carry the entire display stand onto an airplane as personal baggage. The portable display stand according to the present invention can be rapidly assembled by a single person in approximately twenty minutes and be disassembled with equal facility. The cost of the portable display stand is low enough that the stand can be disposed of after a single show while at the same time the stand is so rugged and durable that the stand could be reused for a plurality of different shows.

The portable display stand according to the present invention is comprised of three vertically. disposed folding panels each of which is provided with a plurality of alternately directed folds and complementary interfitting notches for assembling the three panels in vertical alignment. The alternate folds of the intermediate panel are directed oppositely to the alternate folds of the top and bottom panel to provide stability for the completed assembly and to present an ascetically pleas ing appearance. Horizontal shelves are mounted on the upper edges of the bottom folded panel and recessed lighting can be mountedon the upper edges of the intermediate panel to provide indirect hidden lighting for the objects displayed on the shelves.

The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following more particular description of a preferred embodiment of the invention as illustrated in the accompany ing drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the assembled stand according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a partial exploded view of the three panels forming the stand showing the mode of interconnection.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the stand shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4is a partial exploded view showing the manner in which a horizontal shelf is mounted in the display stand.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The portable display stand 10 shown in FIG. -1 is comprised of a bottom panel 12, an intermediate panel 14 and a top panel 16. The bottom panel 12 is folded in opposite directions along a plurality of verticallyextendingfold lines 18 and the top panel 16 is likewise folded along a plurality of vertically extending fold lines 20 with the respective fold lines 18 and 20 being disposed in vertical alignment with each other. The intermedi ate panel 14 is folded in opposite directions around vertically extending fold lines 22 in a manner opposite to the folding of the top and bottom panels 12 and 16. The fold lines 22 of the intermediate panel 14 are laterallyoffset from the aligned fold lines 18 and 20 of the bottom and top panels 12 and 16. FIG. 3 shows the offset relations of these fold lines and clearly discloses that the adjacent sections of each panel are disposed at right angles to each other. It is obvious that the angles at which the sections of the specific panels are disposed may vary but it is obvious that maximum stability is obtained with 90 angles.

As best seen in FIG. 2, the bottom panel 12 is provided with a plurality of notches 24 each disposed parallel to the fold line at the midpoint of each section. The intermediate panel 14 is provided with a plurality of downwardly opening notches 26 and a plurality of upwardly opening notches 28 which are also parallel to the fold lines and disposed atthe midpoint of each section. Finally, the top panel 16 is provided with a plurality of downwardly opening notches 30 which are also disposed parallel to the fold lines at the midpoint of each section. The notches 24 and 26 interfit with each other-and the notches 28 and 30 interfit with each other to assemble the three panels into a unitary display stand. I

A plurality of shelves 32 are mounted on the upper edges of the bottom panel at each forwardly extending fold as viewed in FIG. 1. Each shelf 32 is provided with a downwardly extending flange 34 along the two forwardmost edges and the two rearwardly extending edges are provided with projections 36 which are adapted to protrude through a horizontally extending slot 38 found in the intermediate panel 14. The combined length of the projections 36 are equal to the total length of the slot 38 so that the shelf 32 mates with the The individual panels 12, 14 and 16 may be made of any suitable lightweight material which can readily be folded in the manner illustrated in FIG. 1 and also be folded in such a manner as to bring adjacent sections of each panel into intimate face to face contact for shipping purposes. For example, the panels may be formed from MONSANTOS FOME COR 425 SE. The shelves 32, may also be made of the same material or any other suitable rigid material. The shelves do not have to be reenforced in any special manner since the shelves are substantially supported along all four edges.

It is obvious that the panels 12, 14 and 16 may be provided with any suitable legends, logos or other descriptive matter which may be either printed thereon or secured thereto by any suitable means. It is also possible to provide clip on light fixtures such as small spotlights, along the top edges of either the top panel 16 or the intermediate panel 14. By securing the lighting fixtures to the top edges of the intermediate panel 14, behind the top panel 16 an indirect lighting effect may be achieved for illuminating articles displayed on the shelves 32 directly therebeneath. Other additional clipon or hanging attachments may be provided and any suitable carrying are adapted to receive the folded panels and accessories may also be provided.

Thus, a full size 8 X inch display may be provided which can readily be disassembled and folded into a compactv48 X 21 X 6 inch size for shipping purposes. Using the material indicated above as an example, the entire display group would weigh only 22 pounds.

While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to a preferred embodiment thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A portable display stand comprising three folded panels disposed in vertical relation. to each other to define top, intermediate and bottom panels, each of said panels being folded in alternate directions along a plurality of vertically extending folded lines with the intermediate panel being folded opposite to said top and bottom panels, complementary aligned notches disposed in the top and bottom edges of the intermediate panel and in the respective adjacent edges of the top and bottom panel for securing said panels in an interlocking relation to define a unitary display stand and horizontal shelf means supported on the upper edges of said bottom panel intermediate adjacent folded sections of said intermediate panel.

2. A portable display stand as set forth in claim 1 further comprising horizontal slot means disposed in said intermediate panel on a level with the top edge of said bottom panel for receiving and supporting said shelf means.

3. A portable display stand as set forth in claim 2 wherein said shelf means is comprised of a flat member having horizontally extending projection means projection means extending into said slot means for supporting said shelf means. 

1. A portable display stand comprising three folded panels disposed in vertical relation to each other to define top, intermediate and bottom panels, each of said panels being folded in alternate directions along a plurality of vertically extending folded lines with the intermediate panel being folded opposite to said top and bottom panels, complementary aligned notches disposed in the top and bottom edges of the intermediate panel and in the respective adjacent edges of the top and bottom panel for securing said panels in an interlocking relation to define a unitary display stand and horizontal shelf means supported on the upper edges of said bottom panel intermediate adjacent folded sections of said intermediate panel.
 2. A portable display stand as set forth in claim 1 further comprising horizontal slot means disposed in said intermediate panel on a level with the top edge of said bottom panel for receiving and supporting said shelf means.
 3. A portable display stand as set forth in claim 2 wherein said shelf means is comprised of a flat member having horizontally extending projection means thereon coextensive in length with said slot means, said projection means extending into said slot means for supporting said shelf means. 